Episcopal succession

The Bishops of Rome to AD 400

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Every bishop of Rome from Linus, whom Irenaeus names as the apostles’ own appointee, to Siricius, the first to issue decretals — the line the later church would call the papacy, in the centuries before it was called that.

37 names, AD 76 to 399

Of all the great sees this one is the best attested. Irenaeus wrote out the Roman succession about AD 180 to argue that the church’s teaching had passed through traceable hands, and Eusebius carried it forward with regnal years. The early dates are still approximate, and the first three names are the least secure of all.

Ordered by year of death, which is how the whole archive is ordered. For this see that is also the order of succession.

Who were the bishops of Rome before AD 400?

  1. 1 Linus of Rome d. c. 76 Bishop of Rome after the apostles
  2. 2 Anacletus (Cletus) of Rome d. c. 88 Bishop of Rome
  3. 3 Clement of Rome c. 35 – c. 99 Bishop of Rome
  4. 4 Evaristus of Rome d. c. 107 Bishop of Rome
  5. 5 Alexander of Rome d. c. 116 Bishop of Rome
  6. 6 Xystus I (Sixtus I) of Rome d. c. 126 Bishop of Rome
  7. 7 Telesphorus of Rome d. c. 136 Bishop of Rome · Martyr
  8. 8 Hyginus of Rome d. c. 142 Bishop of Rome
  9. 9 Pius I of Rome d. c. 155 Bishop of Rome
  10. 10 Anicetus of Rome d. c. 168 Bishop of Rome
  11. 11 Soter of Rome d. c. 174 Bishop of Rome
  12. 12 Eleutherus of Rome d. c. 189 Bishop of Rome
  13. 13 Victor I of Rome d. c. 199 Bishop of Rome · First Latin-writing pope
  14. 14 Zephyrinus of Rome d. c. 217 Bishop of Rome
  15. 15 Callistus I of Rome d. c. 222 Bishop of Rome
  16. 16 Urban I of Rome d. c. 230 Bishop of Rome
  17. 17 Pontian of Rome d. c. 235 Bishop of Rome · Martyr in the Sardinian mines
  18. 18 Anterus of Rome d. c. 236 Bishop of Rome
  19. 19 Fabian of Rome d. 20 January 250 Bishop of Rome · Martyr of the Decian persecution
  20. 20 Cornelius of Rome d. c. 253 Bishop of Rome · Martyr
  21. 21 Lucius I of Rome d. c. 254 Bishop of Rome
  22. 22 Stephen I of Rome d. c. 257 Bishop of Rome
  23. 23 Xystus II (Sixtus II) of Rome d. 6 August 258 Bishop of Rome · Martyr of the Valerian persecution
  24. 24 Dionysius of Rome d. c. 268 Bishop of Rome · Theologian of the Trinity
  25. 25 Felix I of Rome d. c. 274 Bishop of Rome
  26. 26 Eutychian of Rome d. c. 283 Bishop of Rome
  27. 27 Caius (Gaius) of Rome d. c. 296 Bishop of Rome
  28. 28 Marcellinus of Rome d. c. 304 Bishop of Rome
  29. 29 Marcellus I of Rome d. c. 309 Bishop of Rome
  30. 30 Eusebius of Rome d. AD 310 (exiled to Sicily) Bishop of Rome · Confessor of the lapsi crisis
  31. 31 Miltiades (Melchiades) of Rome d. 314 Bishop of Rome · Pope of the Peace
  32. 32 Sylvester I of Rome d. 335 Bishop of Rome through the Nicene settlement
  33. 33 Pope Mark d. 7 October AD 336 Bishop of Rome (336)
  34. 34 Julius I of Rome d. 352 Bishop of Rome · Defender of Athanasius
  35. 35 Liberius of Rome d. 366 Bishop of Rome
  36. 36 Damasus I of Rome d. 384 Bishop of Rome · Patron of Jerome
  37. 37 Siricius of Rome d. 399 Bishop of Rome · First issuer of decretals

Each name links to its profile: the dates, the office, and every primary source that carries the name.

The other sees

All six successions → · All 1,152 figures →